Publications

Over the past ten years, the study of commitment has advanced in many different directions. A variety of disciplines have adopted the topic as a theme in their research and these have offered fresh and significant insights. These recent advances include new approaches to both the conceptualisation of employee commitment and the particular human resource practices intended to increase it. This review discusses the definition of commitment and its creation based on IES' extensive experience of working in this area and a comprehensive literature review.

As the title suggests, this paper identifies questions measuring employee commitment and job satisfaction. There are limitations to measuring morale and motivation by direct questions about their levels. The more practical approach of using statements about commitment and job satisfaction as indicators was discussed as these provide greater understanding of the issues.

This paper suggests attitude statements that test organisational citizenship behaviour.

It wasn't so long ago that UK employers were worried about labour surpluses. Inevitably, as recession turns into boom, concern about growing levels of employee turnover and skill shortages bubble up once more. So are employers right to press the panic button again? Should they brace themselves once more for long-forgotten turbulence in the labour market?

This report presents the results of the most detailed UK work yet to explore how employee attitudes and behaviour can improve customer retention and, as a consequence, company sales performance. It presents compelling data to demonstrate these links, highlights the 'Attitude Chain' model which underpins it, and highlights how other businesses can take this work forward in their own markets.

This book identifies the two key problems facing senior managers and HR directors: employees' feelings of mistrust and insecurity, and their effects on the employment relationship; and the speed of organisational change which requires employees to make continuous transitions. This book shows that the management of careers in organisations is still possible if career transitions are negotiated with employees, supported by management, and hence recreate trust.

The IES Annual Graduate Review included key facts, figures and commentary on the main changes influencing the HE experience, the changing characteristics of the student population, and graduates’ experiences in a more diverse labour market. In 1997-1998 special attention was given to the implications of the Dearing Inquiry for graduate employment and graduate recruiters. This publication is no longer available.

Rather than panic and throw money at the problem, it is important that employers adopt more considered and targeted approaches to keeping their best employees. This practical guide demonstrates that, through careful risk analysis and targeting of retention measures, losses of key people can be both predicted and prevented. The guide includes turnover costs checklist, retention risk analysis, and exit interview questionnaire.

This publication is no longer available. In this study, IES revisited its 1993 study of the take-up and use of National Vocational Qualifications to examine progress, involving a survey of 758 employers across England and Wales. It examined the influences of size, ownership and sector on employers’ use of NVQs, their understanding of them, and penetration of NVQs in those employers that do use them.

The experience of living with the possibility of redundancy, and watching others leave, has become part of the working experience of many UK employees. Whatever the corporate rationale, this 'downsizing' is a personal rather than a bottom-line issue for those who survive it and who are ultimately responsible for the newly structured business's future success. Talk of 'survivor syndrome' in the popular press has highlighted the dangers of generating a new breed of alienated employee, devoid of loyalty and commitment. How can employers maintain employee morale in times of such change?